INDIANAPOLIS -- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute falls somewhere between phenomenon and cult figure at this Final Four.
The UCLA forward's aura, or whatever you want to call it, has compelled fans like Amanda Jeberjahn to immerse herself totally in the culture of Mbah a Moute's country.
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| Never tried boa constrictor? African prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute says it tastes like chicken. (AP) |
"Got it at Flag World in Circle Center Mall," Jeberjahn said Saturday night following UCLA's 59-45 victory over LSU. "Every girl is like, 'I want to change my last name to Mbah a Moute.'"
To change it, first you have to be able to say it. For the record, it's um-bah-ah-MOOtay. The 19-year-old freshman with five names -- at least parts of five names -- considers snake a delicacy. He is the prince of his village back home, which means someday he will be a chief.
If you're thinking Eddie Murphy in Coming To America, Mbah a Moute is way ahead of you.
"I'm not at that level yet," he said when asked if his face appears on his country's currency.
Still, Mbah a Moute is hot in a way that makes not just freshmen coeds swoon. Check out the popular college website facebook.com. Seventeen people belong to a Mbah a Moute discussion group called, "I Want To Be An African Princess."
Two of them are guys.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
If that's not enough, two other groups have morphed into T-shirts in the UCLA student section -- "Moute Kicks Boute" and "Cameroon Crazies."
Or maybe the T-shirts inspired the discussion groups. Whatever. Mbah a Moute is a minor celebrity here because of his silky French-accented English and stylistically efficient play.
No one expects the prince of a west African village to shoot 58 percent and average almost 10 rebounds per game in his first NCAA Tournament. Mbah a Moute led the Bruins again Saturday with 17 points and nine rebounds in choking off LSU.
The defensive wizard averages 8.1 rebounds, for a time leading the nation's freshmen in that category. He's not flashy, but the charm never stops. That's the appeal. Early on, he spent 15 minutes signing autographs and posing for pictures after a UCLA home game with ice bags held to his knees.
"I love the Cameroon Crazies," Mbah a Moute said. "That's why I wanted to come to UCLA."
Considering they didn't label themselves until he actually came to UCLA, that's quite a compliment.
Mbah a Moute has been in the U.S. only three years and picked up basketball only a couple of years before that. But he has started since the beginning of the season. It became evident Ben Howland had something special when Mbah a Moute held his own over the summer against NBA stars that float in and out of the UCLA practice gym.
We're talking the likes of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups.
"He does whatever is asked of him," teammate Jordan Farmar said. "If we need an extra ball-handler, if we tell him to go guard (LSU's) 'Big Baby,' whatever is asked, he can do it. He's always poised, always under control."
So how did he get to Westwood? Put another boa constrictor on the barbie (tastes like chicken, Luc says) and we'll talk.
Howland was both shrewd and lucky. He actually picked up two Cameroonians. Mbah a Moute was at a Florida prep school. Fellow freshman Alfred Aboya, a reserve averaging 3.8 points, came from a prep school in New Hampshire.
"I played it like football," Aboya said of his basketball discovery at age 11. "I caught the ball and started running everywhere."
A Boston Celtics scout called the staff alerting them to Aboya. A friend called Bruins assistant Ernie Zeigler about Mbah a Moute. When both played at a Nike camp, Bruins coaches were able to see them together.
Howland then flew to Monteverde, Fla., to watch Mbah a Moute work out.
"Luc did not play AAU ball, like the rest of those kids do in July," UCLA assistant Kerry Keating said. "Ben saw him work out in a gym in Florida with no air conditioning for two hours. The kid never stopped. Ben was like, 'Done, gotta have him.'"
It's that little extra recruiting hustle that has led UCLA to Monday night. Howland recruits blue-chip players, but his kind of blue-chip players. Even from that workout, Howland didn't know Mbah a Moute had the ability to go up between three players on the road at, say, Arizona and haul down a big rebound.
"He sees the players for how he wants to see them, not how some other schmuck sees them," Keating said of his boss, "not based on what he did dunking or making shots.
"It's not all about scoring and passing (all the time), it's about playing defense and having an effort and a mindset."
There is no Cameroon language, per se. Rather a series of approximately 250 dialects spoken by different tribes. Most folks speak English and French in the nation of 16 million about the size of California.
If there is a stereotype of these African kids that jump to U.S. hoops, it's that they are smart.
"They come over with the intention that they're going to get an education. That's their first priority," Keating said.
It's hard for friends back home to understand. In terms of popularity, basketball is somewhere behind soccer, volleyball and team handball. Mbah a Moute grew up playing on crumbling cement or asphalt courts with no nets.
Friends will see his exploits -- albeit in a few days, taped on TV in Cameroon. Even if they follow Monday night's game live via the Internet, it won't tip until 3 a.m.
They'll be missing some west African flavor in the national championship game. Mbah a Moute used to play tennis and swim on land owned in Cameroon by the grandfather of Florida sophomore Joakim Noah.
Joakim's father is former tennis star and current pop star Yannick Noah, who is of Cameroonian and French descent.
Yannick's first hit, recorded 16 years ago, fits this weekend: Saga Africa.
But don't try to rush out and by a flag to celebrate this One Shining Moment.
"Cameroon flags? I'm sold out," said Flag World employee Florin Rata. "I sold 30 flags. I have just stickers and key chains. After I sold the first one I asked them why?"
Now he knows: Cameroon and its crazies.
